Can inoculants increase milk production in the dairy cow?
Increases in animal performance have been observed more often than increases in intake. A recent survey of inoculant studies in all silage crops found milk production improved in about half of the studies. In those studies where milk production was improved, milk production increased on average 3 lbs./cow/day. At what silage moisture content do inoculants work best? An inoculant should work well at any of the recommended moisture contents for the various silo types (i.e., between 45 and 70% moisture). However, fewer types of naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria will be able to grow well under drier conditions. This suggests that inoculants should be successful more frequently in drier crops. Return to Top of Page Do inoculants work equally well on all cuttings during the season? The most important factor affecting the success of an inoculant is the size of the natural population of lactic acid bacteria on the crop: the higher the natural population the less likely the inoculant wil
